


A Present for Elena

by CartoonAddict564



Category: Elena of Avalor (Cartoon)
Genre: Birthday, Birthday Presents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-09-14 15:55:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16915854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CartoonAddict564/pseuds/CartoonAddict564
Summary: Elena's birthday party is in just a few days, and Naomi is working on finding the perfect gift. But what can a humble commoner from the docks possibly offer the princess who rules the whole land?





	1. A scabbard and a shark

**Author's Note:**

  * For [paperclipbitch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/paperclipbitch/gifts).



> Happy Yuletide!

As soon as Naomi saw the scabbard in Dona Paloma's emporium, she knew that it would be perfect for Elena's birthday gift.

The scabbard was made of soft, supple leather and was covered in jewels--not big and gaudy ones, since that wasn't Elena's style, but little ones with the edges filed down so they wouldn't snag on anything in a fight. Those gems were arranged in patterns specific to Avalor; a set of tiny topaz and sapphires in the shape of a flying jaquin, for instance, and a group of aquamarines and diamonds that looked just like a miniature version of the royal tiara. The scabbard also had a perfectly cylindrical shape which was somewhat unusual in scabbards, but was perfect for what Naomi needed. That shape wouldn't fit Gabe's sword, or for that matter any sword she could think of, but Elena's Scepter of Light would slide perfectly inside it, and that was all that really mattered.

Naomi wasn't able to hide her wince when she looked at the price. It wasn't nearly as much as she'd feared--the unusual shape and the small size of the gems were probably to blame for that--but it was still more money than she'd ever before had at once. After a little math she worked out that she'd have to save for three months to be able to buy it, and that was assuming she spent virtually nothing else at all in that time. But the gift was for Elena, the princess who had seen something in her, who had plucked her from obscurity and raised her to sit on the Grand Council where she could go on incredible adventures she could never have imagined otherwise. Elena was worth it, Naomi knew. Elena was worth anything.

So Naomi went to Paloma and, by means of referencing various favors Elena and Naomi had done for her in the past, persuaded her to put the scabbard on reserve for the time being. She scrimped and saved for the next three months, keeping every copper she earned--from her allowance, from fish she sold at the market, from her occasional shifts filling in for dock workers or lighthouse keepers or whatever else needed doing in the harbor--locked up in a box in her room. And she kept a very careful eye out whenever she was in the palace to see if Elena suspected what was going on, or if she'd gotten a scabbard of her own for her Scepter that would render her gift redundant. After all, if this present wasn't useful it would probably just get put on a shelf somewhere, perhaps to be taken out and appreciated at appropriate intervals, but not to be thought of otherwise. And that wasn't enough for Naomi. She wanted to give Elena something meaningful, something she could actually use. Something that mattered.

But then, at long last, only a few days remained before Elena's birthday. Naomi had not seen Elena use a scabbard in all that time, and she had--finally--saved up enough money to buy the present. So she raced to Paloma's as soon as her chores were done and flung the box of coins down on the merchant's desk, unable to keep a huge smile off her face as she did so. Paloma sniffed and made a quiet comment about treasures in the hands of those who couldn't appreciate them, but she accepted the money and sold Naomi the scabbard. Then all that was left to do was for Naomi to rush back towards her house, smile still fixed on her face, thoughts running through her head as to what Elena's reactions might be. Once she got the scabbard nicely wrapped up and wrote out a birthday card, she could take the package to the castle to be stored with Elena's other presents until the big day, and--

"Miss Turner? Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

Naomi skidded to a stop, almost crashing into a few passerby, and turned to see Esteban leaning out of the window of his carriage. "Home!" she called to him. "I gotta wrap Elena's birthday present!"

"Present?" An impish look passed over Esteban's face, and Naomi had to laugh at the smile he was trying and failing to repress. "I don't suppose I could see it first? After all, I am her cousin! I... ah... must check to make sure it is safe, yes."

"Safe?" teased Naomi. She dangled the bag Paloma had wrapped the scabbard in to her side, but then pulled it away as Esteban reached for it. "How could a present be unsafe?"

Esteban spread his arms wide. "Why, in all manner of ways. What if she is allergic to it? Or what if an evil malvago has possessed it? Really, it's for the best if I examine it first."

Naomi giggled and twisted the bag away from his grasp. "You just want to be in on the secret, don't you?"

"Oh, no no no! I have only Elena's best intentions at heart--and yours too, of course!" But his voice was not serious, and his bashful grin underscored that, yes, he did just want to know what the concealed present was. They both laughed, and it took Esteban a moment to recover. "Well, maybe a little. But there is also a real reason. If you show me your gift, I can make sure I do not get her the same thing. Gabe and Mateo, and Isabel of course, have already shown me theirs too, for precisely this reason. After all, we don't want a repeat of her fourteenth birthday when everyone got her a hairbrush, do we?"

Naomi couldn't hold back a few more giggles at the thought of that. And, after some thought, she had to admit Esteban had a very good point. "Alright," she said at last. "If you swear you won't breathe a word to Elena."

"I swear. May jaquins pluck out my eyes if I am lying," intoned Esteban. A jaquin flying overhead gave him a strange look, but he didn't seem to notice. "Shall we?"

A few moments later, Naomi had joined Esteban in his carriage. She set the bag on her lap and then, with a flourish, whipped the scabbard out. "Ta da!" she announced. "Awesome, isn't it? I'll bet nobody's getting her anything like it."

Esteban looked closely at the scabbard. His expression was focused and searching at first, but after a moment, the sternness faded from his mouth and his eyes turned downcast. He looked almost...

Regretful?

Naomi felt her stomach flip. "What's wrong?" she demanded. "Why are you looking at it like that?"

Esteban hesitated for a moment. "Nothing is wrong, exactly," he said. "But... before you give this scabbard to my cousin... it might be best if you saw something. It will not take long. Higgins!" The driver made a noise of acknowledgement. "Back to the palace, please!"

The ride was uncomfortable and silent, and Naomi tried to keep herself from panicking, but in her mind she could not stop trying to figure to what the problem was. Did Elena hate scabbards for some reason? Or was this maybe her scabbard to begin with, stolen by someone and then pawned in Paloma's shop before Naomi had found it? Or was it...

Naomi was still trying to figure out the issue when they reached the palace fifteen minutes later. Esteban dismissed Higgins, then led Naomi into a little meeting room where she had never been, though its decor was similar to other palace rooms where she had seen Elena receive foreign ambassadors. Esteban glanced around before taking down a box from atop a high shelf. "I'm sorry," he said as he gave it to her. "Elena received this just last week, from Napurna's new ambassador."

The package was long and narrow, and Naomi gut clenched as she realized what had to be inside. "It's like mine," she whispered as she opened the box to see the sheathed staff inside. "Just like..."

But the staff's scabbard wasn't like hers; it was better. The fabric was of some soft and supple material Naomi had never felt before, and it was set with so many tiny jewels that it looked like someone had coated it with a substance that sparkled and glittered more than any paint or lacquer. There were also magic sigils carved into the scabbard which Naomi recognized from Mateo's occasional lectures; some powerful wizard had cast spells rendering it virtually impervious to fire, water, acid, lightning, and bladed attacks.

"A gift," said Esteban, in answer to the question Naomi had been about to ask. "A small token of appreciation from the ambassador. We are close to signing a trade treaty, and their king wanted to make sure we knew how wealthy their nation is--and how good of a trading partner it would be."

"Small?" repeated Naomi, still stunned. She had known intellectually that Elena was incredibly rich, of course, but she'd hoped that she still might have found something nice that Elena didn't already have. Now to find out she'd been just one week late...

Esteban nodded. "Yes, quite small. To celebrate the signing of the treaty next month, I believe the king will be sending us forty full suits of armor with accompanying weapons, all more valuable than that little staff there. And we, of course, will be sending gifts of our own in response."

Naomi felt a wave of despair dragging at her. "Oh," she managed. "But then... why didn't she start using it? The scabbard, I mean, not the staff. Instead of just jamming the Scepter through her belt--"

"If this gift were lost or damaged, the kingdom of Napurna might take offense. So it will remain here for the foreseeable future. But if there is some terrible crisis in the future, then Elena may of course take it up." Esteban was quiet for a few seconds. "I apologize for this, Miss Turner. But I felt it best you know that your own gift might seem... diminished in comparison."

"Right." Naomi took took a breath and pushed her feelings back. "No problem. I'll just... find something else really nice and trade this scabbard for it. Maybe I'll go to that rich district Elena and I were fighting duendes in last week, or cross over to Cordoba since their market..." She saw Esteban shaking his head. "What?"

Esteban stoked his chin as if considering something, then gestured at the door. "Please follow me again, Miss Turner. Again, this will not take long, but it is quite important nonetheless."

Naomi didn't want to follow him, but she couldn't stop herself, and a few minutes later they were at the treasury. Esteban let them in and disarmed the traps, then took Naomi to a side room she hadn't been in before. He opened the door to reveal...

What looked like a museum of the most expensive artifacts in the world.

Naomi's jaw dropped as her gaze fell over row after row of glass cases that were stuffed with all kinds of regalia. There were crowns that were set with Cordoban gems, there were fine robes in the Satu style, there was a huge case of nothing but fancy Napurna sandals made from gorgeous woods Naomi had never seen before, there were swords covered in gold filagree and spears with diamond tips and--

And everything. Anything Naomi could think of, anything that was for sale somewhere in Avalor that she might be able to possibly afford, there was a better version in one of the cases before her.

"This is where we store the gifts we receive from other kingdoms," said Esteban as Naomi's shoulders slumped. "Avalor is a very old nation. We have made many treaties with presidents, kings, and emperors who rule lands around the world. We have therefore received many gifts from those same rulers. Not to mention the various treasures we have purchased or otherwise obtained for ourselves. And because she is our princess, these treasures all belong to Elena's, although I supposed a vote of the Council might be needed to remove--"

Naomi stamped a foot into the soft carpet, then growled when it barely made any noise. "Alright!" she snapped. "Fine, I get it!" She stared at the treasures for one agonized second longer before turning to Esteban. "How can I compete with this?" she asked, her half begging and half demanding. "Come on, Esteban, you know this stuff! You're always talking about how you know everything there is to know about being royal."

"Yes, this is true--"

"Then how can I get Elena something royal? Something that she doesn't already have ten better copies of?"

"You can't." Esteban shrugged. "You are a commoner, Miss Turner. Elena is a princess--"

Naomi's face flushed. "Hey, I'm just as good as--"

"Please, Miss Turner, I am not insulting you." Esteban held out his hands. "It is just a statement of fact. It would not be offensive to say that you are a human and not a jaquin, and therefore you cannot flap wings and fly, yes? Well, you are a commoner and not royalty, and so you can not obtain gifts comparable to those royals exchange. That is just the way it is."

The two were silent for a moment. Naomi looked away first. "But then what can I do?"

"Have you considered making something? Mateo is enchanting some of her possessions so they are more resistant to wear and tear--useful, given all the traipsing through jungles she gets up to. And Captain Nunez is composing a book of poetry for her. "

Naomi couldn't help but snort; she had heard what Gabe called poetry. But then she looked back at the room of treasures and her humor faded. "I can't make anything as good as that."

"Elena does not expect you to," said Esteban, and there was a note of empathy in his voice. "She knows you are from the docks. She knows that you spend your time sailing ships and not obtaining treasures. She would not hold it against you if you got her something simple. Seashells you found in your travels, perhaps, or some sketch you saw in the market and thought she might like. Truthfully, that is what I expected to find when you said you had gotten her a present."

"Oh," said Naomi in a small voice. "Of course you did."

Esteban didn't seem to notice her tone. He gently guided Naomi out of the treasury and locked it behind him. "Miss Turner, please, let me reiterate to you this: Elena will not be upset if you get her something that she already has a better one of. She does not expect more from you. You know this, yes?"

"Yes," managed Naomi, and then Esteban finally let her go. She felt herself stumbling out of the palace, down the street, towards her house.

Esteban was right, Naomi knew. Elena wouldn't expect Naomi to get her something comparable to what she already had.

But Naomi expected it of herself. Because Elena was her best friend, and she was incredible, and she deserved to have a good gift. Not something stupid where Elena would just have to pretend to like it because of friendship--something actually worthy of the princess.

When she got home she collapsed into her bed with a heavy groan. But she only let herself stay there for a few minutes. Then she was forcing herself up again, ready to continue on and find another gift.

 

* * *

 

The docks were, in Naomi's opinion, the perfect place to go when she wanted to clear her mind. The fresh, salty breeze from the ocean was always bracing, and the hustle and bustle of the longshoremen were disruptive enough that she couldn't get too stuck in her own mood before some shout or yell would startle her back to reality. She could just walk the piers, help out wherever she was needed, and let the atmosphere refresh her.

There were a few dozen people around, mostly merchants loading and unloading cargo, as well as a squadron of Royal Guards marching their way through a patrol in the distance. Naomi recognized Gabe as the leader of the squad, but before she could call out to him, she heard a pained grunting noise and turned to see two longshoremen struggling with a gigantic fish carcass. It was a huge catfish, easily as long as the taller of the two men, and Naomi licked her lips thinking about how good it would taste once it was fried up. "Hey, you two need any help?"

"Sure, thanks Naomi!" said one. "This one's a real beast!"

Naomi lifted up the center of the fish and helped the dockworkers haul it over to a stand with a large scale. As the fish was weighed and the payment for the sailors calculated, Naomi asked, "Where did you guys find this one?"

"Little strait six hours due east of here... your mom said she took you there once. Best catfish in all the lands."

Naomi thought for a moment and then remembered. That had been the first time she'd been allowed to help her mom with the navigation, and while she'd had a rough start, they had gotten there eventually. That particular spot was an especially inhospitable and rocky strait, but it did have some big fish. She'd been back there herself a few times when she'd had a free day and wanted to get some good seafood. In fact...

No. She couldn't go there to catch a big fish for Elena; the fish in that strait might be big and delicious, but they weren't the biggest or most delicious in the kingdom, so Elena could get better from the market or the palace stores. She'd need something even better, and she wasn't sure any better fish were around.

Or were there?

"Hey, do you know if there's any... I don't know, legendary fish or something?" Naomi asked. "Like, fish you guys have been trying to catch, but couldn't?"

The two men looked at each other. "Well," said one, "You know Whirlpool Bay? Head north for about two hours and get through some rapids, you see whirlpools at the mouth of a river?"

"Yeah." Naomi had been there with her dad once, just to look at the pretty whirlpools, as a present on account of her doing really well on a test.

"If you get past the whirlpools and head upriver about an hour, you'll get to a big lake. There's a lot of fish there, including a whole school of basking sharks. Supposed to be some of the tastiest meat in the seas cause of the weird plants and stuff they eat there. So a lot of guys want to fish them. But the river's real narrow, so--"

"--so you can't take a big boat up it, you have to take a little boat like a canoe, and it's hard to hunt a shark when you're in a boat half its size because the shark can just knock the boat over and eat you," finished Naomi. "Nobody's tried taking jaquins? Hunt the sharks from the sky?"

"The wind's real weird there too. Crazy updrafts. They can't get close." The man shrugged. "Every now and then someone comes up with a great plan for fishing there, but nobody's done it yet. Why, does the palace need rare fish for something?"

"It doesn't... but I do," murmured Naomi. "Thanks!"

She ran off towards her father's boat, already planning the words she'd use to convince him to lend it to her. She could borrow a canoe from the Alvarez family; they owed her a big favor after she'd helped patch their ship in a bad storm so it wouldn't sink. If she left right away she would definitely be able to sale her dad's ship to Whirlpool Bay, take the canoe upriver, do the fishing, and get back by nightfall. Then she could...

As she ran, she passed the Royal Guard squadron. "Hi Gabe!" she called as she rushed by. "Bye Gabe!"

"Woah, Naomi, hold up!" Gabe called. "Men, take five. Where you headed, Naomi?"

Naomi skidded to a stop and turned to Gabe. He had his new captain insignia on his hat, Naomi noted, and he seemed to have tilted it at just the right angle for it to glint in the sun. She couldn't help but giggle at that before responding. "Out to sea, I hope," she said. "And then Whirlpool Bay!"

"Where's that?"

Naomi explained, then quickly ran through her plan to get Elena a birthday gift. "...so nobody in Avalor has ever tasted anything like these sharks. All I need to do is catch one, even a little one, and get it back here. Then I can cut a couple fillets and cook them for tacos or something. It'll be the perfect gift--she'll never have had anything like it." Naomi grinned. "How do you think she'll react when I show it to her and tell her what it is?"

Gabe considered. "Well... way I see it is, first, she'd probably yell at you."

Naomi blinked. "Huh?"

"Yeah, definitely some yelling. Something like," and he raised his voice to mimic Elena's, "'Why in the world would you risk your life to get me a present? You could have been hurt! Or killed! You're my best friend and I care about you a lot more than I care about some stupid fish! I can't believe you thought I'd be so greedy that I'd want you to almost die just to get me a nice present!" He dropped his voice back to normal. "Then she'd probably storm off and hide in her room for a while."

"Um..." Naomi looked down, and her heart sank as she thought about it. Gabe was right. Elena would flip out if she learned that Naomi had gone to hunt some shark that no adult fisherman in Avalor would risk hunting just for the sake of a birthday present. "...I wouldn't have to tell her how dangerous it was?" she offered meekly.

Gabe gave Naomi a level glare. "And what if you actually did get hurt hunting the sharks? How do you think Elena would feel then?"

Horrible, Naomi knew. She'd be crushed. And that meant she couldn't risk it, no matter how confident she was in her own fishing skills. "Fine," she said. "Fine, you're right. Bad idea."

She sat down on one of the piers, legs dangling over the ocean, and after a moment Gabe sat next to her. Naomi took a soft breath, then said, "I just want to get her something really good, you know? Something she doesn't already have, like, a dozen jeweled copies of."

"I'm sure you'll come up with something. And hey, if not, you can contribute to the poetry I'm writing her!" Naomi glared at Gabe, who just smiled at his own joke. "Or not. But I'm sure you'll figure it out."

"I hope so." Naomi sighed. "Thanks for the reality check on the shark thing."

"Hey, what are friends for?" Gabe playfully shoved Naomi, who smiled a little and pushed him back. "Alright, I have to get back to the squad. See you later?"

"Sure."

Gabe left, and Naomi looked out at the horizon for a few moments before letting her gaze fall again.

There had to be something she could get her friend. She was sure of it. But she had no idea what.


	2. A speech and a spell

The next day dawned bright and sunny, but Naomi felt like her head was clouded as she headed up to the palace. There was a meeting of the Grand Council to get through, and although Naomi knew Elena had no reason to bring up her upcoming birthday party or ask what she was getting, she still felt like she was being put on the spot. The party was in just two days, and she was still the terrible friend who couldn't get her friend anything worth giving.

She caught herself and forcibly shook her head. She wasn't terrible, she told herself. Esteban had said Elena would understand, and in truth, Naomi knew that. But it still hurt. She wanted to do something really good for Elena, something that could... well, not pay her back, nothing could pay back all Elena had done for her... but at least gesture in the direction of doing so. And even if she only had the resources and experiences of a sailor's daughter and not a princess, she knew there had to be something, anything, she could offer Elena that Elena couldn't get on her own.

She just had to find it.

The meeting was lengthy, with Elena and Esteban quarreling over several issues that were mostly related to various civic engineering projects, an archeological expedition that Professor Mendoza and Antonio Agama were trying to get funded, and some new idea of Gabe's to increase patrols so as to have a better chance of catching the Delgados should they return. When it was finally over, Naomi got up first and left the room without staying for the usual post-meeting snacks Armando set out. If she went to the market, she thought, she might at least see something that would help her come up with some ideas--

"Hey, Naomi? You okay?" Naomi spun to see Elena, who was looking at her with a concerned expression. "You were kinda quiet today."

"Oh!" Naomi shook her head to clear it. "Yeah, I'm fine," she managed. "Just... lost in thought. You know how it is."

"I sure do." Elena smiled gently, then gestured back at the room. "Want some tea? It's Armando's special blend; it'll perk you right up."

Naomi winced as she realized how dry her throat had felt--she'd rushed through breakfast and hadn't had time to drink anything. But she didn't have time to sit around drinking tea. "No thanks. I should probably get home. Lots of stuff to do."

"Alright, if you're sure." Elena shrugged. "I'm busy today too. The contractors want me and Esteban to personally vet the site for the mouth of the new shipping canal."

"Canal?"

"Yeah. You know, the one we spent fifteen minutes discussing just now?" Elena's grin turned teasing. "That canal?"

Naomi forced herself to think back and remembered that Elena and Esteban had argued for several minutes over whether it was better to build a narrow canal quickly, in order to be ready for an expected rush of merchant shipping, or build a wider canal slowly, in order to eventually accommodate more traffic. She'd voted with Elena that the slower approach would pay off more in the long run, and they'd won. There had also been discussion over the exact best route the canal would take, and...

And Naomi, who had sailed down plenty of canals with her parents, realized that she might well have something to contribute to that discussion.

"Hey," she said, speaking more brightly than before, "Now that I think about it, I could probably squeeze in a trip to the canal site with you."

"Uh, sure, if you want..." Elena frowned. "But why?"

"Well... in case you need some naval expertise." Naomi flashed a grin at Elena. "You know, from someone who's done a little bit of sailing..."

Elena chuckled. "Naval expertise?"

"Yeah. I've sailed on all kinds of canals before. If you have questions, like, whether certain kinds of boats can comfortably fit in certain sizes of canals, or how much cargo a boat could carry and still get through a given one, I could help out."

"But... we have engineers there," said Elena, confusion evident in her voice. "I mean, wouldn't they have considered all that?"

Naomi's face fell. Of course, she thought, Elena could no doubt get access to the greatest experts she needed--engineers, construction people, even other sailors. There was probably a whole committee of people Elena could consult if she needed advice on the canal. She wouldn't need Naomi.

"Now, if we were doing something on the open water, you'd be the first person I'd ask," continued Elena in a light voice. "Nobody I know has sailed the Avaloran waters more than you. But for a civil engineering project, I think the civil engineers should be enough."

"You're right, you're right," said Naomi. "They'd know better. Sorry. It was dumb to bring it up."

"Oh, no no no!" insisted Elena. "It wasn't dumb! I wouldn't want you on the Grand Council if I didn't want your advice. And if you want to give it anyways, I'd love to hear it! It's just, for this specific thing I'm not sure if--"

"No, I get it," continued Naomi. "Don't worry about it. I'll just get home then. See you later, okay?"

She hurried off, ignoring Elena's questioning stare behind her, and managed to put a few hallways and rooms between her and the princess before she stopped and slammed her fist against a wall.

Now what could she do? That was another idea gone, and the party was in just a couple of days. There was nothing she could buy, no monster she could hunt, no expertise she could give. That didn't leave much. Just herself, and--

Wait.

Hadn't Esteban said something the other day? Yes, he'd definitely mentioned Mateo was enchanting clothes for Elena. Naomi didn't know any magic, but Esteban had made another comment--a joke about a malvago possessing Naomi's old gift. Just like that weird sword Gabe had gotten which was possessed by El Guapo. What if...

Daniel Turner, Naomi's father, had given her mother Scarlett a present at their most recent anniversary--a locket with intertwined strands of their hair inside. She'd been overjoyed. Also, one of Naomi's neighbors had paid a goldsmith to fuse one of his rings with one belonging to his wife; by all accounts, she'd loved the gift as well. And those were just physical objects. With magic, Naomi knew, more things were possible. So, could Mateo maybe take an ordinary object and possess it, not with a strand of Naomi's hair or any of her cheap jewelry, but with a copied fragment of her? Make it so the object was in some way enhanced by a copy of Naomi's strength, or energy, or pep, or something like that?

If he could, then the resultant gift would be unique. And it'd be something Elena couldn't possibly get elsewhere. A sword enhanced by Naomi's personal strength, or a shield by her tenacity, or even a blouse enhanced by her fashion sense (although she was skeptical the last would be of much use). It would be personal. It would be thoughtful. And Elena would love it.

Provided Mateo could do it, of course, but Naomi just smiled to herself as she headed up to his lab. Mateo was a great mage. How bad could his reaction possibly be?

 

* * *

 

"...so you want a phylactery?"

Mateo gave Naomi an odd look as he refilled a bubbling flask on the biggest desk in his lab. There were books and magical ingredients everywhere, and scattered amongst them were the things that Mateo was enchanting for Elena's birthday: one of her saddles, a pair of her shoes, a hat, a jacket, and a gleaming sword. There was also a little cot in one corner where Mateo's apprentice Olivia was curled up around her new tamborita; she'd apparently stayed up all night studying and fallen asleep in the lab again.

Naomi turned her attention back to Mateo. "Uh, maybe? What's a phylactery?"

"Its the things liches use. They possess an object--"

"Right, yeah! That!"

"--by ripping their own soul out of their body and putting it in the object," continued Mateo. "Then even when their body decays, they won't die unless the object--the phylactery--breaks. Malvagos use them so they can spend hundreds of years learning evil magic and doing terrible things without having to worry about dying of old age." He blinked. "That's really what you want?"

Naomi's mouthed had dropped once Mateo mentioned the part about ripping out souls. "Wait, no! No ripping out my soul, it's staying right here where it belongs, and if anyone tries to take it I'll punch them in the nose!" She thumped her own body a couple of times with her hands for emphasis.

Mateo smiled at that. "Yeah, and I'll curse them right after." He waved his tamborita around, drawing a laugh from Naomi. "But then I'm still not quite sure what you want."

"Just to enchant something with a little of my... I don't know, energy or spirit or whatever the right word is. Like how that weird sword Gabe had was stronger and faster than other swords. But it doesn't need to be a sword, it could be anything." Naomi picked up the hat, a wide-brimmed one that Elena occasionally wore when going somewhere with a lot of sun. "Like a hat. Then I can give it to her for her birthday and have it be, you know. A really special present, something only I could have helped make. Can you do that?"

Mateo tilted his head. "I mean, you're still asking to have a piece of you taken out and put in something. That's dark magic, Naomi. More the kind of thing malvagos would do."

"How is it dark if I say it's okay?" said Naomi. "If I put a piece of hair in a locket and gave it to someone, nobody'd be worried about that, right? So what's wrong with this?"

"Because hair grows back," said Mateo. "And you only put a few strands in a locket, not all of it. I've seen a couple spells to do something like this, but they don't just take a little of something--they'd take it all." He began to pace. "Yeah, I remember. I read about a magic map spell that this one group of pirates used when they moved into a new ocean and captured local sailors. Their spell took all the knowledge those sailors had of the local waters and printed it on some special parchment. Then the pirates had a perfect map--like, it had local currents, tides, shoals, where to fish, everything. But the sailors lost all that knowledge. They couldn't find their way back to port, or even rig a sail. You wouldn't like that, right? You spend so much time sailing around Avalor, I know you'd hate to lose all your skills."

Naomi blanched at the thought of all her sailing knowledge vanishing away. She'd spent years learning every current on the waters surrounding Avalor, every river, every wave, every fish. If she lost all that, she wasn't sure what would be left. "What about something besides sailing?"

"Sorry. The only similar spells I've seen, for putting someone's strength or reflexes or vigor into a totem, are all-or-nothing too."

"...there's no way to just take a little?"

Mateo shook his head. "Sorry, no. At least, not one that I know of." He paused for a moment. "Just think of it like this: you can't divide your own strength up like that, right? You can't be all, 'I'm going to push this rock with just the strength I got from doing push-ups last year, and I'll pull this cart with just the strength I built up from rigging sails the year before.'" Naomi slowly inclined her head in acknowledgement of the point. "Stuff like that isn't divisible. Even with magic."

"I guess that makes sense." Naomi sighed. "Sorry to waste your time."

"Don't worry about it. And, I mean, if you do want to give Elena something enchanted, there's other options. I could give you some instructions and supplies and you could mix up a few spells. If Olivia can do it--"

Naomi shook her head. "No thanks," she said. "That'd still be your gift, just with me doing some of the mixing steps. I'll think of something else. Thanks for telling me about this stuff, though."

"Sure thing, and good luck!" called Mateo as Naomi left. "Let me know if you need any help!"

Naomi threw a wave behind her as she slunk off, then wandered at random through the castle. She stopped several minutes later, finding herself at the middle level of one of the towers. There she sank down on a window sill and sighed.

The window had a great view of the bay, and Naomi thought the ocean looked especially nice that day. The sun was bright and shining off the water, there was just enough breeze for a boat's sails but not so much that it would make the boat hard to handle, and in the distance she saw a few flying fish leaping out of the water. She'd love to take her father's boat out, sail to a nice spot up the coast, catch some really tasty fish, and have a picnic on the back of the boat. With the waves lapping at the hull, the sun gently shining overhead, the splashes of the fish and the calls of birds...

But she couldn't rouse herself to move. She'd failed Elena, failed completely. Elena had done so much for her, and she couldn't even get Elena a real birthday present. The smallest thing a friend was supposed to be able to do, and she couldn't manage it. And she was the only one, at least among their little circle. Esteban didn't have this problem; he could buy her something good, since, like her, he was a royal, Gabe could... well, he was writing poetry, but he surely could hunt Elena something if he wanted. Elena's servants and assistants, her engineers and scholars, could teach her from their expertise. Mateo could cast spells for her. They all had talents they could draw upon, ways in which they were special and could use their talents to give Elena something meaningful, something she couldn't get elsewhere. What talents did Naomi have? Tying knots on a sailing ship? How would that help? Even the others hadn't been able to come up with any ideas that Naomi could use, most of them had just talked about how she could sail and knew the local ocean and waterways...

Naomi paused. Now that she thought about it, while the others could all do things that she couldn't, she could surely sail and navigate around the area better than any of them. And not only did she spend a lot of time on the water, but--thanks to her status as the daughter of the Harbor Master, who was obligated to get involved with any problem any ship might have no matter what it may be--she probably knew more than even the other sea captains. After all, there were captains who sailed the trade routes, and captains who fished in rivers, and captains who fished in the deep ocean, and captains who surveyed the coast--but she'd sailed on all their ships, helping wherever was needed and learning about the sea around her. And she'd done plenty of pleasure sailing on her own besides, with no real plan besides heading up the coast or out into the ocean, exploring, and looking for the little nooks and crannies that nobody'd had any reason to chart before.

Was there a way she could use that knowledge to make a present? She couldn't just magically copy the knowledge, according to Mateo, but could she come up with something else? Something involving sailing itself? Maybe...

Naomi looked out the window again, and her mouth widened into a grin as she understood what she could do.


	3. A present for a friend

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ELENA!"

The princess of all Avalor grinned in delight as Isabel, Gabe, Mateo, and Naomi threw confetti and blew party streamers along with hundreds of other citizens. The entire ballroom had been decorated for the party, with a huge buffet along one wall and a stage along the other for the performer troupes. Jaquins were gathered in the rafters, and Naomi could hear, above the crowd, the bright voices of Mingo and Zoom calling for Elena to come play with them.

"This is so nice!" gushed Elena as she waved to the cheering crowd. "Guys, you didn't need to do all this..."

"Of course we did," said Gabe. "You're the best crown princess we could have. You deserve a fancy party."

Elena giggled and waved for the crowd to start hitting the buffet. As the people began to move, she pulled Gabe, Mateo, and Naomi aside. "Okay, so, after this big party is done, I was thinking--maybe a little one with just the four of us? We can go camping in the courtyard late tonight, watch the stars, toast smores... sound good?"

"Sounds awesome!" cheered Mateo. "I love smores."

"Yeah, we know," drawled Gabe. "You ate all of mine at the last campout."

Naomi said nothing. Now that it was time, her words seemed to be catching in her throat. But she took a breath and made herself push through. "Um, Elena? I got you a present, but it's a little... involved." She scratched her head. "Do you have some time later?"

"Time?" Elena looked puzzled. "For what?"

"To go get it. I can't bring it here. I need to take you to it." Naomi's cheeks flushed as she realized Elena might have other things to do that day. This big party was only supposed to last a couple hours, and after that she could have royal meetings, or talks with ambassadors, or Scepter training with Mateo, or anything at all that could take up her time. What if she said no?

But Elena didn't. She still looked confused, but she said, "Well, sure. I'm free for a few hours after the party. Gabe, Mateo why don't you come with--"

"No!" said Naomi at once. "I mean... if it's alright, I'd like to get it with just you." She clasped her hands together. "Please?"

The other three exchanged glances, and then Naomi saw a small smile creep over Gabe's face. "Right, this is the gift you were trying real hard to make sure was totally perfect," he said. "Alright, no worries. Mateo and I'll find something else to do this afternoon." Mateo nodded a moment later.

Elena shrugged. "Ok, if that's what you want. Um, let's meet up after the party?"

That was good enough for Naomi, who quickly nodded before Elena could change her mind. "You won't regret it," she insisted. "I promise!"

 

* * *

 

The party was wonderful, The food was delicious, the musicians, magicians, and other performers were stunning, and every single detail went perfectly. Naomi, for her part, really tried to enjoy it and at times even succeeded. But she still couldn't stop herself from sneaking near-constant glances at the clocks in the room, counting off each minute until the event was over.

Finally, though, the performers had packed up, the buffet had been cleared away, and the last guests had left. Naomi, standing by the front door, turned as Elena approached her. "Okay, so, where are we going?"

"First, the docks. Come on." Naomi couldn't keep a hint of tension out of her voice, but there was excitement there too. If she could just get this right...

"Should I wear anything special?" asked Elena as she followed Naomi out the door. "I've got sailing clothes upstairs."

"Don't worry, I'll handle all the sailing. You'll just be relaxing on deck," called Naomi. "Don't worry--I thought of everything!" Or at least, she hoped she had.

The castle carriage took them to the docks, where Daniel Turner was waiting next to his ship. "Have fun, girls!" he called as Naomi scampered aboard and began checking everything. "And happy birthday, Princess Elena."

"Thanks, Mr. Turner." Elena climbed on after Naomi and settled down on a lounge chair that Naomi had set up on deck. "Are we sailing somewhere?"

"Yeah," said Naomi. She was already halfway up the rigging, and it took just a few moments for her to get the sails unfurled properly before she was sliding back down and grabbing at the anchor chain. "Maybe an hour and a half away." She gave Elena a cheeky, almost embarrassed grin and tried not to let her hands shake with nervous energy. It was just a little further, she told herself. Only a little more to go. "Told you it would take a while. But it'll totally be worth it, I swear."

Elena still looked puzzled. "I trust you," she said. "But what's ninety minutes from here by sea?" Avalor had some resort islands, there were ports further down the coast, and of course Cordoba was just a short sail away, but all of those options could be reached in much less time. "I can't think of anything--"

"Hey, relax, I've got this." Naomi tossed a comfy pillow next to the lounge chair. "You just relax and take a little siesta. I'll let you know when we arrive."

"Well..." Elena was quiet for a few seconds before nodding slowly and leaning back on the chair. "Alright, Naomi. I'll take a nap. You drive the ship." She giggled and then raised a hand as if waving an imaginary set of orders. "Captain! Take us away!"

"Aye aye, princess!" Naomi saluted, then turned the rudder and began steering them out to sea.

She had thought the time would drag, Naomi mused as Avalor dropped away behind them and she turned to sail towards a distant coast. She had thought she'd be so nervous, so worried that each second would feel like a year. And she was, in fact, worried-- that the boat would break down, that Elena would hate the gift, that a million other things might happen. But at the same time, she was incredibly excited at finally getting to go through with it, and the minutes seemed to go flying by as she carefully guided the boat through the water.

She kept the ship as steady as a rock, so as not to disturb Elena's sleep, yet poured on all the speed she could manage so they could reach their destination on time. They were actually several minutes ahead of schedule when Naomi reached the coast she'd been aiming for, one belonging to a large jungle island, and then turned to follow it east. Another fifteen minutes took the ship to a narrow, rock-strewn inlet, and a few more minutes still had elapsed before Naomi had safely coaxed the ship through. And then at last, once they were half a mile upriver, Naomi nudged Elena. "We're here."

Elena yawned, stretched, and then opened her eyes. "Where--woah."

The river was almost covered by thick jungle canopy, but just enough sunlight shined through the trees that the river's clear water sparkled like it were made of diamonds. Flowers grew along both banks in riotous color, so many and so thickly together that they--even more than the scabbard Esteban had shown Naomi a few days earlier--looked like a painted image, but with a degree of gorgeous detail in their petals that no painter could ever match. The scent from the flowers was heavenly, pleasant and sweet without being cloying, and the thrumming of the bees buzzing between them contrasted perfectly with the lapping sounds of the water. Overhead there were birds flying, birds that were pink and purple and every other color, each so bright that it looked like a little gem as it streaked over the boat.

"Naomi, this is gorgeous," whispered Elena. "What is this place?"

"I don't think it has an official name" said Naomi. "Came across it a couple years ago when I was exploring out this way. Hadn't thought of it in a while, but... well, I was trying to think of places you might like to see, and this was the best spot I've been in sailing range of the palace."

"But how could nobody have been here?" Elena got up and went to the port railing, staring at the beautiful nature around her in wonder. "I mean, we're not that far from home. If even a single ship saw this, they'd surely tell someone--"

Naomi shook her head. "This island isn't near any of the trading routes, so the merchant ships don't come here. It's not near any of the best fishing spots, so the fishermen don't come here either. The river's too narrow for most of the big boats that come out this far to fit inside anyways, meaning even if someone does wind up by this island, they'll almost never go upriver. And any jaquins flying overhead can't see through the trees." She cast a wide smile back at Elena. "We might be the first people to see this river in centuries."

Elena laughed at that. "I don't care how far away this is, I definitely am going to want to come back. Are there any clearings up ahead? It wouldn't be too hard to set up a campsite..."

"As a matter of fact," said Naomi. "There are."

Another fifteen minutes of sailing through the tunnel of trees and flowers brought them to a grassy clearing. There was a waterfall in its back which emptied into a placid lake, within which many brightly-colored fish were swimming. Naomi dropped anchor and then began unpacking a picnic basket. "You up for some fish?"

"Yeah, I could eat." Elena frowned at the food Naomi was unpacking, which included several sides, vegetables, and tortillas, but no fish. "But, um--"

Naomi grabbed her fishing poll from below deck. "When I was here last I'd noticed the fish were real easy to catch. They've never met humans before, so they don't know to be scared of lures. Here, watch." She cast her reel, and in just a few moments she'd hooked a large walleye. She then expertly cut off two fillets and began seasoning them with the lemons, limes, and other condiments from the picnic basket. "You like fish tacos, right?"

"You know I love them," said Elena, and Naomi chuckled as she worked. She got a couple logs and pack of matches from below deck, quickly started a tiny fire, and seared off the fish. Then it was time for another round of seasoning, the addition of a few vegetables, and...

Done.

When Naomi had finished and passed Elena the first taco, the princess took a bite and then smiled. "Oh wow. Naomi, this is incredible. And eating it here--" she waved a hand at the gorgeous scenery, "It's perfect. This is an amazing present. Thank you."

Naomi felt herself let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. "You really mean that?"

"Yes, of course! I couldn't have asked for anything better." Naomi felt a warm, cheerful sensation spread through her and beamed as Elena spoke. "It's wonderful, really." The princess wolfed down another bite of taco before continuing. "If you don't mind me asking, though..."

Naomi blinked. "What is it?"

"Why did you go to all this trouble? I mean, don't get me wrong, I love it and I'm grateful, but... I don't know, this is the first time I've had to go on a quest to get a birthday gift. So why this, and not, I don't know, a fish picnic back in Avalor?"

"Anyone could give you a fish picnic back in Avalor!" insisted Naomi before she could stop herself. "I had to give you something better than that! You deserve--I mean--" She cut herself off and looked away, not wanting to seem desperate but knowing she'd already slipped. "I mean..."

"What?" Elena hesitated, then walked over to Naomi and gently put a hand on her shoulder. "What do you mean? What's wrong?"

Naomi was silent for a few seconds before she couldn't take it anymore. "You've done so much for me, Elena. I was... I mean, I was just a kid who worked at the docks before you put me on the Grand Council. I know you didn't need me there. You could have gotten anyone. But you chose me, and since then, my life has been great. I mean, I've been to Vallestrella, I've been to all kinds of foreign countries, I've seen magic and fought monsters and done things they might still be talking about in fifty years. You made that possible for me, even though I couldn't make anything possible for you." She managed a weak shrug. "And so, for this, I... I had to find a way to show you I understood, you know? You got me this great life I could never have gotten myself. So I had to get you something you couldn't have gotten yourself, even though you get all these fancy gifts from ambassadors and have experts on staff and--"

"Naomi!" said Elena. "Hold up!"

Naomi paused. "What?" she said. "You asked--"

"Don't ever say," said Elena with a gentle smile, "That I don't need you. Of course I need you, Naomi. How do you think I picked you in the first place? A random draw?" She took Naomi's hands. "I picked you because you were smart, and brave, and willing to fight an army of noblins to save a little girl you'd never met before. And since then, whenever I've been unsure, or confused, or just needed a friend, you've been there." She squeezed her hands, causing Naomi to blush. "You might not be able to grant me titles, but trust me, when we're out in the jungle fighting Shuriki or whatever other monsters are around, I need you having my back a lot more than I need a title."

"But--" began Naomi, but Elena quickly shushed her.

"I've loved the time we spend together," said Elena in a quiet, calm voice. "And I need you to understand--you're not indebited to me, Naomi. I don't want you as a debtor. I want you as a friend. An equal. Whatever our titles." She moved her head closer to Naomi's. "Like I said, I love this present. But if next year you want to just... I don't know, get me a dress you think I'll like, I'll love that too. I don't need something that only a sailing expert could pick out. I need something that only a close friend could pick out... and whatever you pick, I know that's what I'll get."

Naomi felt her heart starting to race as she heard the sincerity in Elena's words. "You mean it?"

"I mean it. We're friends, Naomi. And we always will be--whatever the presents we get each other." Elena paused, and then in a brighter voice added, "Of course, you do realize I'm going to go all out trying to top this for your birthday this fall, right?"

Naomi laughed, and like that, the spell was broken. She wasn't worried or nervous anymore about not living up to Elena's standard. She just had to be a good friend--which she knew she was. That was all there was to it.

"Now," said Elena. "How about we enjoy this picnic?"

"Definitely," said Naomi, gathering up the tacos. "And that's not all. We still have some time before we have to get back for the campout, so after lunch we can get behind the waterfall. There's the most perfect fruit trees..."

"Or we could head right back, pick up the boys, and return!" added Elena. "I bet Gabe and Mateo would love this place too!"

"Sure, and then we..."

She talked, and Elena answered, and as the sun streamed down on them Naomi felt perfectly content.

After all, she was having a great time with a friend. What better gift was there than that?


End file.
